A Tufted Tale
by Story Please
Summary: Hermione finds herself in a tricky situation when she finds herself head-to-head with the Umbridge family and their reckless destruction of protected lands in Hogsmeade. But when she's tasked with finding an ancient, presumed extinct magical creature, will she find that she has bitten off more than she can chew?


Written for: Bonus Round #2: The Unspoken: Elemental Magics!

Captain's Round Prompt: Metal/Gryphon

Prompts Used: (colour) emerald, (word) luminocity, (word/object) orb

Word Count: 13,123

Author's Note: Gryphons are known to have the head, wings, and talons of an eagle, the body and hindquarters of a lion, and tufted ears. But there are other things that might surprise you about these mythical beasts...

* * *

**A Tufted Tale**

Severus Snape was falling.

The sensation felt endless, and his stomach lurched as his grasp on what was up and what was down slipped away.

_Crack! Snap! Thud!_

Then came the silence, which was only broken by a brief, breathy, groaning wheeze that seemed to be coming from far away. Pain bloomed across his body. Through dazed eyes, he could tell that he was in a dark place, a sole beam of light hitting him in one eye. A tiny emerald orb danced before his weakening vision. It was joined by a red and blue orb, until a kaleidoscope of colour paraded across his line of sight, but he couldn't focus, couldn't think. His thoughts were jumbled and furious but he couldn't say why.

_What was I doing here?_ The thought sped away and his eyes drifted closed. Something soft and silky tickled his cheek, and for some reason, he couldn't help but smile at the small comfort of it.

Darkness took him, then, and he knew no more.

* * *

Hermione burst out of her door in a fury of frizzy hair and half-eaten toast. She was halfway down the driveway when she turned back around to double check the front door. She could have sworn she forgot to lock it, but it was buttoned up tight with a strong warding charm for potential magical invaders. After all, it wouldn't do for someone to crash in unannounced, because she was late.

Everyone told her that she was being paranoid for not trusting the Floo, but she knew better. During the war, it had been used as a tool by those who wished to subjugate others, and she had no illusions of the Ministry being run by wholly altruistic individuals. Umbridge had merely been demoted and none of her crimes had ever been brought to court after she'd worked with Skeeter to write a "tell all" piece in the Daily Prophet about how she'd been "forced to follow orders" against her will. And indeed, one of the many thorns in Hermione's side as the

Head Officer of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was Umbridge and her kin.

The detestable woman had two brothers. The first, a Tirant Umbridge, had been killed by werewolves under suspicious circumstances only a few years after reaching his majority. Dolores had used this as a springboard for fighting for stronger controls on werewolf populations and loosening regulations on "half-breed destruction" or, as Hermione called it, _murder_. It was Dolores' eldest brother, however, that had recently been giving Hermione the headache to end all headaches. Ulfric Umbridge owned a series of investment properties around Europe and had decided that Hogsmeade required a full-service wizarding hotel. This hotel, however, was to be placed in the middle of a wildlife sanctuary for magical creatures.

Hermione had argued that the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest had been using that land to hunt for centuries and that chimaeras and other dangerous beasts might use the grounds during their mating seasons, which could bring danger to guests. All of her well-researched points and pleas had fallen on deaf ears, especially since many of the Hogsmeade business owners wanted to expand the number of tourist offerings and increase revenue. Hermione had been branded a bleeding heart for "pest species" and Skeeter had done an entire exposé on how many of the creatures that lived on the plot of land had been illegally brought to Europe, to begin with, so really all that would be disturbed were some "insignificant pests." Hermione was fairly certain that Skeeter had included Hermione in that assessment.

After a quick stop at the office to pick up her trusty clipboard, which featured copies of the environmental laws she was going to use to stop Ulfric from breaking ground on his project, Hermione headed to Platform 9 and ¾ to take the Commuter Line of the Hogwarts Express. During the school year, the train ran twice a day in order to ferry those who needed to visit Hogsmeade or the school up and back again. The number of people living in Hogsmeade had grown immensely after the war, and many commuted down to London for work. A flurry of witches and wizards burst from the train doors out into London proper. Hermione noticed that the train was fairly empty and conceded that while more local jobs in Hogsmeade were needed, building a luxury hotel wasn't the answer.

A few people tried to enter her compartment, but when they saw her, they abruptly turned and left. Hermione was used to this treatment. Many of the people who lived in Hogsmeade had received one of her letters about interfering with centaur land. It should probably have shocked her to be ostracized simply for enforcing rules as they were outlined in the treaties and (at least in her own mind) common decency, but Hermione was far too jaded from the war to truly be even mildly surprised.

"Everyone loves rules until they're forced to follow them," she muttered as she made notes in the margins. "Everyone wants to be the exception. _Rules for thee but not for me_, my arse."

She sighed. She'd never used to swear so easily, but living on her own seemed to have brought out her inner sailor. Before she could think much on it, the train came to a halt and Hermione stood, gathering her wits and putting on her best Business Neutral expression.

"This is going to be fun," she muttered, knowing full well that it was sure to be the opposite.

* * *

Ulfric Umbridge sat in a large, overstuffed chair that only emphasized his slimness. While Dolores Umbridge was plush and round, Ulfric Umbridge was all angles and flatness. His impeccable ivory robes shone with a luminosity that would have been tacky on anyone else but suited him. As Hermione entered, trying to catch her breath, he stood and fixed her with a charming smile.

"Why, Miss Granger, what a lovely surprise," he said, his voice regal and warm.

Hermione tried not to scowl. How dare he act like some sort of king? "Actually, I made certain I wouldn't be a surprise," she said primly, "Your secretary was informed last week of my appointment."

Ulfric flicked an invisible speck from his shoulder and glanced down at his planner. "Ah, yes, so you did. So, then, what can I do for you today, Miss Granger?"

"It's about the hotel. Unfortunately, you won't be able to move forward until you address these environmental laws." Hermione could see where his eyes tightened at the corners. His smile appeared to have frozen in place. _Good. Let him squirm a bit_, she thought.

"Very well," he said, after a long, awkward pause. "Let's go through them. But first—" he made a gesture with one hand, and a small, squat goblin woman entered wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a sour expression. "—I must insist upon bringing in the family lawyer, to ensure that all legal requirements are truly being met. I am not a legal genius, Miss Granger, but Mrs. Yellingstone here has never steered me wrong."

"Charmed," Hermione said coldly, but she smiled at Mrs. Yellingstone in an attempt to convey that she was not angry at the goblin woman but her employer. Mrs. Yellingstone showed no sign of having understood and merely hefted herself up onto a chair and pulled out a roll of fresh parchment.

Hermione handed over the paperwork and stood expectantly as the goblin looked it over. "Those are your copies to keep," she added. "I took the liberty of making them for you in case you required a few weeks to get through them all."

Much to her shock, the goblin had already pulled out a red inkwell and began making notes in the margins as well as crossing out an alarming amount of text. Not twenty minutes later, the goblin made a soft "harrumph" sound, then stacked the papers together and handed them to Ulfric, who grinned as he looked them over.

"It looks like the majority of these expired or were superseded by subsections of bylaws in subsequent legislative sessions," Ulfric remarked, his tone only slightly betraying his smugness, "and the others only apply to areas where Muggles live, which, as you know, does not apply to Hogsmeade, as it is a purely Wizarding community. As for the endangered species, I've been proactive." He gestured and Mrs. Yellingstone handed him a folded piece of parchment, which he handed to Hermione. "Here is a list of studies on endangered magical species from a certified magizoologist. As you can see, all of them have been completed satisfactorily."

Hermione grit her teeth as she read down the page. They both knew full well that he could have sent her the documentation via owl post, but she couldn't say anything about it, as she was still pushing the issue after he'd been held back for months with her previous legal cases.

"Now, then," Ulfric said, smiling triumphantly, "I expect that you shall be taking your leave. After all, I am certain that a _high ranking Ministry official_ such as yourself has much to do."

"I suppose that—OH!" Hermione's eyes had caught on something at the bottom of the page.

"What appears to be the matter, my dear?" Ulfric looked as though he were barely holding back a derisive snigger.

"Gryphons!" Hermione shouted.

"What was that?"

"You've covered the gamut of locally-known endangered magical species except for gryphons!" Hermione turned the page around and pointed at it.

"But...but gryphons haven't been spotted in this area for nearly a century!" Ulfric sputtered. "Mrs. Yellingstone, surely—"

"Gryphons are an A-class protected magical mammal considered functionally extinct and used in over one hundred coats of arms," Mrs. Yellingstone said, her voice dry and flat as month-old dust. "But as by-law 3251 subsection 4q states: 'apparent absence of a magical creature is not proof of absence.'"

Hermione had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around the goblin for confirming her hopes.

Ulfric's face was flushed with fury. "Surely the law does not state that I must go on a wild goose chase for an extinct creature!"

Mrs. Yellingstone nodded. "Once a formal request has been placed, a formal study must be done to ensure compliance."

Hermione brightened. "Then I must _formally_ request that you ensure that these precious creatures do not come to harm if they do indeed roam the land you've slated to be the grounds of your hotel!"

Mrs. Yellingstone bared her teeth. "Unfortunately for you, Miss Granger, subsection 5f states that, if the formal request is made by anyone with lower authority than a member of the Wizengamot, the burden of proof rests on the requestor and not the owner of said property."

"What?" Hermione blinked in confusion.

"What she means is that you must provide the evidence that you are requesting." Ulfric smirked.

"You will be given a week from the time of request to gather the evidence before the landowner is free and clear to do as he wishes," Mrs. Yellingstone said, holding up a small silver pocket watch. "As is customary, I have started the countdown." She made a strange motion with her fingers and a copy of the watch appeared. "One will be kept here and one will be kept with you, Miss Granger, to ensure that the terms are properly adhered to by both sides." The watch levitated over to where Hermione stood, silently fuming.

"Fine!" Hermione grabbed it and stuffed it in her pocket. "I'll find them if it's the last thing I do!"

"Tick tock, Miss Granger," Ulfric said as she slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Hermione had never liked the Forbidden Forest, least of all because the idea of being in a place expressly called "forbidden" went against every rule-following bone in her body. Technically, the land that Ulfric had purchased was part of a larger forested area outside of the bounds of Hogwarts, but unlike a map, there were no clearly delineated lines of property in the real world. Hermione was almost glad that Ulfric had gone ahead and clear cut the part of the forest he'd planned to build in, for it made it much easier for her to find the path that the local goblin construction company had used to haul the wood and brush out. There were even a few abandoned carts with wood still standing near the site, though Hermione could tell at a glance that powerful wards had been placed on them.

"Why would anyone want to steal a cart?" Hermione wondered aloud as she unstuck her boot from a patch of mud for the twentieth time. She'd meant to go back to London and gather more supplies, but the pocket watch she carried weighed on her and she knew that time was of the essence.

Though the clearing was fairly well-lit, the forest appeared to press in around on all sides, and there was a sense of shadow that filled Hermione with unease. It took her a moment to realize why— it was completely silent. No birds chirped. No small creatures moved around in the trees. Even the breeze seemed to have gone still. Hermione felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she turned abruptly, expecting to see someone.

No one was there. Still, she had the sensation that she was being watched.

Hermione cast _Homenum Revelio_, but the result was inconclusive. The magic in the soil and trees interfered with any spells cast over the general area. Her wand would probably still work if there was a specific target, but simply blindly casting spells wasn't going to get her anywhere.

Suddenly, something darted by her ear and she leapt backwards with a squeak of surprise. Was it a fairy? A pixie? Maybe a large moth?

Something ruby and green shot by her face so quickly that she couldn't make out just what it could be, and she couldn't get out a _Stupefy_ before it disappeared again.

The silence returned, draping over her like an oppressive blanket. She continued towards the main site, her skin crawling with the sensation of being watched. She rounded a small hill and beheld a large blackberry bush. Something tiny was on the ground, partially hidden by the leaves and making small munching noises. Hermione slowly inched forward, her wand at the ready. At the last moment, she lunged forward, the spell on her lips. With a tiny squeaky yowl, the creature dropped to its side, and Hermione moved the foliage aside with her wand, bending down to get a better look.

There was something lying there...tiny paws...tufted tail…

Hermione let out a gasp of wonder.

_A gryphon...baby, perhaps?_

It was only slightly larger than a hummingbird, its feathered ruby throat disappearing into tawny fur. She reached forward and gathered it in her hands with the utmost care.

A twig snapped from above, and Hermione drew back, protectively covering the small creature. It would not do for it to be harmed.

"I only need to show you to the Wizengamot and you'll be safe, little one," she promised. With a wave of her wand, she conjured up a small box lined with satin and tiny holes in the top to make sure the creature could breathe. Then she placed it carefully inside and shut it tight, placing it in a hidden chest pocket.

Something dark and feathered dropped down from the canopy, moving inhumanly fast. Hermione stumbled back and raised her wand, wondering if perhaps a larger gryphon was upon her. The figure crouched down, partially hidden by the bushes, its face covered by dark feathers, and long claws curling back into brown padded paws. It wasn't a gryphon, she realized, but the way it moved made it painfully obvious how dangerous it was.

"Stay back!" she shouted, pointing her wand at it.

It stood on its hind legs and stalked towards her a few paces, seemingly unafraid, then darted to another bush and moved forward, forcing her to spin in place. Hermione moved back, but she felt as though she were being corralled, and eventually, she found herself with her back against a massive pile of debris that had been left at the worksite.

Hermione knew she couldn't Apparate away. The wild magic coursing through the earth and the trees around her would surely cause her to splinch herself. The last thing she wanted to do was harm another living thing, but she had no qualms in saving her own life.

"I'm warning you! I will defend myself!" she shouted, hating how her voice wavered.

A growl escaped the mop of feathers. Hermione couldn't see any eyes, but the way it carried itself told her it was furious.

"Give. Her. Back." The voice was grave, as though it hadn't been used in a long time, but the words were clearly understandable.

"What?" Hermione began to drop her wand in confusion. Had it...spoken?

"My friend. Marron. Give her back. She is not yours to take." He gestured menacingly with the claws, which she realized were leather-like gloves with raptor-like claws at the tips. They retracted and flexed as he unfurled his hand. "Now."

"I can't," she replied. "I...I need her."

"Then we are done talking." He lunged forward and Hermione ducked out of the way with an involuntary shriek, turning in the air and firing a stunner at him. It hit his leg, and he stumbled, but in moments he seemed to shake it off and began to give chase. Hermione ran blindly through the forest, her only goal was to escape her pursuer.

Clawlike branches ripped at her clothing and she tripped more than a few times, bloodying one knee. He moved like a breeze through the trees, then jumped down again, hot on her tail.

She didn't see the hole in the ground.

One foot found air, and the other pushed off the ground, propelling her forward, but she found nothing to grasp. She let out a cry, her mind going blank with terror as she fell, her body twisting in the air and her legs and arms bashing onto the side of the slick, rock walls. She cast the Featherweight charm on herself, but as it was meant to be cast on inanimate objects, it still didn't slow her fall by much. Soon, the darkness had swallowed her, and she dared not to twist and try to look up, lest she bash her head against the sheer walls of the cave. She huddled and protected her head, neck and the precious cargo hidden in her chest pocket as best as she could to brace for impact whenever it came.

Something sharp grabbed her ankle, wrenching her to the side and slowing her descent abruptly. Her wand went tumbling into the darkness below her, but before she could process what had happened, her head slammed against something hard and then there was nothing at all.

* * *

Bursts of light and pain filled Hermione's senses. She fell in and out of partial consciousness, getting snippets of sound and scents and sensations. Her head was killing her. Something rumbled on her chest, filling her with a deep vibration that made her think of Crooks.

_Wait. How long have I been out? _

The thought seemed to spiral around her head before it skittered away under a bloom of pain.

_Am I even still alive? I think so..._

She let out a groan and something large shifted nearby.

"Don't move. You've been gravely injured." She felt a soft, warm pressure on her chest.

That voice...the creature ...no...the _man_ who'd chased her…

"I've done what I can do with what the forest has provided. The others have seen fit to sit with you, though I have no idea why. You nearly absconded with Marron. It is only pure luck that she was unharmed after your...ill-advised flight."

Hermione got the feeling that he wasn't truly speaking to her, and that grumbling about the whole situation was somehow comforting to him.

Tiny points of pressure moved up her body from her legs to her chest- it wasn't his hand, it was something else. Something warm and thrumming with magic. The resulting purr resonated through her body, and she could feel tendons and bones snapping back into place.

"Oh Marron, you absolute sentimental fool." She could hear the love in his voice, and strangely enough, she ached to hear someone say her name like that.

She slept.

* * *

"I know you're awake." She could feel him standing on her right side.

She was on some sort of cot or bed, but she hadn't been willing to open her eyes to investigate. Part of her was certain that none of it was real— she must have died or was lying at the bottom of a hole in a fever dream. But the soft sheets felt real. So did the sounds of falling water echoing from further away. The lingering ache in her body _definitely_ felt real.

"I haven't forgiven you for trying to steal my friend," he continued. "But, while I'm not happy having you here, I promise that I won't harm you."

She opened her eyes, glad for the soft light in the room. "Who are you?" She absently noticed that the light was coming from oddly shaped fungi that seemed to be growing from the walls and ceiling.

He fumbled with the feathered mask/headdress and pulled it aside. "You can call me Severus. It's what they call me."

Hermione blinked and let her eyes focus on the tiny balls of light flitting around his face. They seemed to be making tiny chirping sounds that he nodded at and acknowledged or softly responded to.

Could he..._understand_ them?

Long, dark hair cascaded over one side of his face, gathering into a loose braid that hung down his back. The fat dark worm of a scar curled down his chin to his neck, which appeared to be scarred as well. His hair was parted down the middle and the loose hair on the other side of his face was tucked behind his ear. His dark eye silently regarded her. There was something about him that made a spark of recognition go off in her brain, but it soon evaded her grasp again.

A couple of the small balls of light flitted over to her and landed on her chest and shoulders, pressing her back down into her sickbed. Little intelligent eyes peered down at her, their unexpected weight pressing into her skin.

"Rest, now," he said abruptly, and then his face was covered once more and he was gone.

* * *

Later, he brought her a strong-smelling soup that tasted better than it looked. She was sitting up by that time, but she still had trouble getting around. Her legs trembled when she stood. It was fairly obvious that they'd been broken terribly only hours ago. Magic could explain some of it, but even potions and spells only fixed things so much.

The gryphons, for that was what they were, had healed her. Severus explained that their purrs vibrated at a frequency that accelerated healing. The more gryphons congregated, the more effective the healing power. In fact, unlike the felines that they partially resembled, gryphons adored water, especially natural hot spring water, which flowed through the cave. The more the gryphons played and purred in the water, the more their healing magic infused into the land itself, leaving it with potent healing properties. It was no wonder why Ulfric had been planning to use the underwater springs as a source of water and power, then offer "spa retreat" packages. She'd seen the plans during her evidence gathering but hadn't put two and two together.

"I still feel a bit uncomfortable calling you by name," she admitted, later, after she finished her meal.

"I doubt you'll have any need to call me anything at all," he replied briskly. "Once you're fully healed, I'll take you back up to the surface, and you will not return. In the meantime, don't push yourself."

Hermione bristled. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but there's a man who's trying to turn this land into a luxury hotel."

Severus sneered. "He will not succeed."

"That's why those wards were placed on the equipment, isn't it?" Hermione countered. "You're trying to sabotage him."

"It's worked so far," he replied, shrugging.

"The only reason it's worked at all is because I've been trying to legally contest his right to the land!" Hermione gripped the sheets in her fists. "And, in fact, the whole reason I was here in the first place is because I needed to find evidence of a gryphon habitating the area before my time runs out."

"Do you honestly think that Umbridge is going to back down if you bring him evidence?" Severus replied, his face flushed. "He'll come up with some sort of technicality, some sort of slippery way around the rule! The only way to stop him is by destroying the means of constructing the damn thing in the first place!"

"I don't understand- why don't you just go to the Ministry and—"

"BECAUSE THE MINISTRY IS FILLED WITH BLOODY IDIOTS!" Severus roared. "And for peons like you or I, there's always some procedure that applies to us but not to _them_!"

Hermione winced but she had to agree with his assessment. She'd been working hard for several years, and she still had only been able to stop one or two cases from going through. Pixies that had lived in a meadow for centuries were exterminated because people had decided they needed to use it for grazing land for their cattle. Her legislation on house elf rights had been gutted of any meaningful reform by the time it had been passed. Her office was little more than a broom closet with a desk in it. If anything, Ulfric Umbridge had sent her on a wild gryphon chase to keep her out of his hair for a while, not because it had any chance of actually stopping him. Then, she had another, more disturbing thought.

"How far do these caves extend?" she asked, looking around. The room itself appeared to be carved out of stone and polished, presumably by human hands. It was rustic but cosy, and the door and frame that was set into the far wall appeared to have been carved by hand.

"They run underneath much of the forest," Severus replied with a frown. "Why do you ask?"

"Ulfric Umbridge plans to put a twenty story luxury hotel in that clearing," Hermione explained. "Even with advanced runic foundation stones, the resulting building would be heavy enough to collapse, either partially or totally, into one of the cave pockets beneath it."

"Would serve him right," Severus growled.

"Perhaps, but any potential guests who are injured or killed would be innocent blood on our hands if we don't do something to stop it!" Hermione swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. It was, she realized immediately, a terrible idea. Her legs may have been physically healed, but the muscles and bones were all new and unused to bearing weight. She toppled forward and nearly fell on her face, but luckily Severus flung himself forward to catch her. Despite his lanky build, he was surprisingly solid, and the scent of his clothing was minty and herbal, which was unexpected. After seeing his initial wild appearance, she had expected him to be more...rustic.

"What did I tell you about pushing yourself?" he hissed, his expression one of pure annoyance but his grip was gentle as he set her back into bed. "You won't be ready to walk long distances for at least a week."

"I can't wait that long!" Hermione grit out. "I have to get back—"

"I've already explained why it won't do any good, and you're not taking Marron with you," he replied firmly. "We've vacated the caves closest to a potential collapse and sealed them off from the other tunnels with runic charms carved from mineral deposits in the caves. If that maniac wants to enjoy the folly of his efforts, then, by all means, I hope he does."

At the sound of her name, Marron chirped and popped her head out from where she'd been hiding in Hermione's hair.

"You silly thing, come on now," Severus said, holding out his hand. Marron made a _chirrip-prrp_ noise and refused to budge.

_No way! I like it here and I like her!_

The voice sounded like a chorus of tiny bells in Hermione's head, and at first, she thought she was going mad.

"Um," she said, "Did you—?"

"She says she doesn't want to leave your...er...mane," Severus said, crossing his arms and scowling. "Little chit."

_I heard that!_

"As intended," he replied, smirking ever so slightly. "For some absurd reason, Marron is apparently fond of you."

"Oh, um, thanks?" Hermione wasn't sure what to say to that. Her head was still trying to process the fact that she was somehow able to understand gryphon speech. Of course, all things considered, it wasn't the weirdest thing that had happened to her. In fact, it probably wasn't even in the top ten. "In any case, even though I'm absolutely grateful to you and the, er, others for healing me, I can't let others be hurt just because I haven't figured out a plan of action." She tried to stand again and fell back onto the bed with a groan as Marron squeaked indignantly from her hair.

Severus rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. "Listen, Hermione Granger, even if I wanted to get you out of here, it's still a long walk, and your wand disappeared somewhere into the bowels of the Earth when you fell, so I imagine you won't be able to Apparate back to civilization with ease. You're simply going to have to wait here until you're healed up. Come on, Marron. Don't be so stubborn. She needs to rest."

Suddenly, he darted forward and plucked the little gryphon out of Hermione's hair with a triumphant laugh.

Hermione squeaked and so did Marron, but then she heard Marron's tinkly little bell-laughter and realized it had been a game.

"Now what should I do with you…" He shut the door slowly behind him, chattering softly away with Marron and not realizing that Hermione could hear the gryphon sigh as she nuzzled into his neck.

_I know you promised my mum you'd take care of me, but you don't have to be so overprotective!_

So. He'd made a promise. Hermione considered how she might use this knowledge, but came up with nothing.

It was only hours later, when she woke from a muddled half-dream, that she realized that she'd never told Severus her name.

And yet, he knew it.

* * *

The past had come to haunt Severus Snape and he was kicking himself for involving himself at all. He wouldn't have shown himself, but Marron had been impulsive and run off to explore. And when he saw a human form hunched over her, he'd lost his head.

He'd never intended to return to human society, but no matter where he ran, it seemed that somebody was always making plans to ruin his solitude. The gryphons had been his family, had sung him to sleep, had taught him wandless magic beyond his wildest dreams. Marron's parents had been the ones to save Severus when he lay dying in the Shack. Their healing magic was so potent that he'd awoken fully healed the next morning and fled into the caves to escape the Dark Lord's wrath. He hadn't realized that the Dark Lord was dead. His only thought was that all was lost.

The gryphon flock had found him. Their healing magic had forged a link between them, and Severus found he could understand them as clear as any human being. They had become his family. And, when Marron broke through her steel egg with a chirrup of victory a few months later, she'd become as precious as any human niece might have been to him. Those happy days bathing in underground healing hot springs and singing songs thrumming with magic and building wonders under the ground, experimenting with potions he'd only ever dreamed of creating seemed to stretch on forever, and Severus finally allowed himself to let go of the past.

It was not to last.

Marron's parents were killed by a scouting party sent out by Ulfric Umbridge on a dreary spring morning. They Vanished the bodies, speculating amongst one another that they'd disposed of any "unforeseen snarls" as Severus had held Marron tightly against his chest, her tiny sobs and shrieks of fury hidden by the rain as it fell. She'd refused to sing for weeks, and her feathers had begun to fall out. But Severus had made a promise on that tragic morning. He would protect her and care for her until she could care for herself.

Finally, he'd gotten her to start eating. Her flight feathers slowly grew back and she began to hum, just a little. Her magic spiked a few times, causing a few interesting circumstances, but Severus bore it in stride. Wearing his feathered mask with its tufted ears and an outfit made of cured cave salamander leather, he cut an impressive and terrifying vision. But even when the work crews began to arrive, the half-giants felling trees with one blow, Severus stayed mostly hidden. He sabotaged carts and supplies when he could. The gryphon flock thought this mischief was hilarious and helped out.

_But now_… He looked down at Marron, who was curled up on a little knitted cushion that he'd made for her out of her favourite blue yarn, and he knew it wasn't enough. Twelve other gryphons of various ages and sizes slept in an assortment of cubbies in the far wall, each with their own knitted cushion bed. They all seemed to understand that Marron wouldn't sleep very far from her adopted father, but he always had to be careful not to turn over too quickly in bed in case a handful of them had crawled in to siphon off his warmth.

He hadn't expected Hermione Granger, but then again, when had he ever _expected_ her? He'd gone through her clipboard and wallet when trying to figure out who she was. Seeing her name brought back far too many memories, and he'd nearly shat himself when she'd told him he resembled someone she knew. Himself, most likely. Even with the long hair and the braid and the odd clothing, he still looked vaguely like the uptight dungeon bat if one squinted a bit. He wasn't that man any longer, but he sometimes still wondered what sort of man he'd become. If anything, he had become more gryphon than man, and that was oddly comforting.

He was impressed that she'd lasted so long at the Ministry without losing her soul, but clearly, if she thought kidnapping a magical creature was reasonable behavior, she wasn't fully blameless. The years had definitely not been kind to her. She had bags under her eyes that looked as though they were fond of inviting friends over on the regular, and he'd seen a number of silver hairs coiled into her bushy mane when he'd been helping to clean the blood off of her.

To be honest, he hadn't recognized her at first with her frizzy hair tied up in a ponytail and her unassuming brown Ministry robes, which was why he held out the hope that she wouldn't connect the dots.

Still, there had been a moment when he was preparing dressings for her wounds when he had come face to face with the scars she'd kept hidden, and his mind instinctively went back to those moments of powerlessness, not knowing who was alive and who was dead.

_We might have been friends in another life_, he thought idly, and in a way, it was true. She'd been thorough in her research. She fought against injustice no matter how stacked the chances were against her. And Marron _liked_ her, which was absurd because Marron _hated_ humans other than Severus.

Of course, there were still plenty of mysteries regarding his tiny feathered and furred friends. Marron had been the only one born in the years that Severus had been with the flock, which concerned him. Gryphons had been considered extinct in Britain when he was a child, and he'd grown up with stories where they were larger than a hippogriff.

Marron, on the other hand, could probably successfully take a bath in a teacup.

"Ah, well," he said, pulling a tiny napkin-sized blanket over Marron's snoozing form and smiling as she nestled into it with a sleep-choked sigh, "all this thinking can wait for tomorrow."

Oddly enough, he sank into an unusually deep and dreamless sleep where he was flying in strong feathered wings, soaring among the stars as the Earth turned below him.

* * *

Something felt wrong. Hermione wasn't sure what it was at first, but when she tried to turn, she felt a horrible pulling sensation. When she finally realized what it was, she let out a cry of surprise and promptly tumbled onto the floor.

"What the devil is going on here?" Severus had thrown the door open, three mini gryphons hovering in behind him, their voices calling out with confusion.

"I...something's wrong with my back," Hermione wailed, and Severus just stared at a large and somewhat disheveled wing poked out from behind her. The other one was still twisted in the bedsheet.

"Your ears!" he burst out uselessly, and Hermione's hands instantly went to them, her fingers finding long tufts of downy feathers that were most definitely not there the night before.

She looked down and let out another cry of dismay. Her legs had grown hairy...no..._furry_. Her toes had been replaced by paws with long, sharp, silvery claws. "Severus, what is happening?"

_Wow, you're so pretty_, Marron said, flitting around Hermione as she tried very hard not to freak out.

"I'm not pretty!" Hermione shouted back. "I'm terribly confused!"

"You can understand her?" Severus asked, his astonishment somehow even greater than before.

"I'm kind of transforming unwillingly at the moment, so maybe this isn't the right time to go into it!" Hermione shouted as a sound like a cork brought with it a long, lion's tail from the back of her. Moments later, she fell forward onto her hands and watched as the skin on her forearms erupted into scaly talons, her fingernails sharpening into raptor claws of silver that matched her lion's paw feet. Her wings had grown larger, and they beat intermittently in the small space as though trying to work out their function.

At this point, only her head was still recognizably human, and Severus watched helplessly (and with a measure of undisguised envy, Hermione noticed) as she slowly completed the transformation.

Her amber eyes were pleading as she made her way on shaky legs to where Severus stood frozen in the doorway.

_I'm a gryphon, aren't I?_

Severus slid down the door jam and sat staring her in the eyes. "Yes."

_Is it like an animagus transformation? Can I change back?_

"I don't know." His voice was a monotone, defeated.

_Have you ever seen a gryphon of my size?_

"No."

_What about—_

"What about NO do you not understand?!" Severus was clenching his fists, his breathing coming out labored. "You come here, try to kidnap my family, fall down a hole because your foolish self couldn't be arsed to look where you were going and now _you_ get to be a _gryphon_ while I'm stuck like THIS?!" Severus was losing it, and Hermione instinctively shrunk back.

_You're perfectly fine, though._

He let out a laugh that was almost maniacal. "For someone who claims to know so much, you're terrible at reading people. I am _not_ _fine_. I am not even in the neighborhood, city, or _country_ of _fine_! What did you do to receive such a gift?"

_I don't understand—_

"Of course you wouldn't!" His face was practically scarlet. "You've always had friends! Your parents _love_ you! You haven't spent your entire goddamn life being treated like a piece of rubbish that fell short of the rubbish bin!"

_That's ridiculous, you're not—_

"OF COURSE I am! It's always been that way, no matter what I've done! No matter how far I run, I'll always be the greasy dungeon bat, nothing more, nothing less! And I was a _fool_ to think it would be different anywhere else!" Severus abruptly pulled himself up and stormed out of the room, leaving a trail of frightened gryphons floating behind him.

Hermione stood frozen for a long moment and only seemed to come back to herself when Marron landed on her newly formed beak and pressed her tiny forehead against Hermione's forehead.

_He doesn't mean it. I think he's actually quite fond of you, to be honest. _

_What do you mean? _Hermione asked.

_My mum always used to tell me that when Severus first came, he wouldn't talk. He seemed physically fine, except for the scars, but he just sat on the floor curled up in a ball. Mum and Dad had to take turns bringing him food or he wouldn't eat. He only seemed to come out of his shell when I was born._ Marron preened a bit at the confession. _Mum said that I gave him some meaning. He was always so protective. Sometimes more than I would have liked. Sometimes he would grumble if I tried to get up to mischief, but he __**always**_ _grumbles about the humans, almost like he resents the fact that he has to be one. I didn't really understand until those...__**monsters**_ _killed my parents. _

Hermione's eyes widened and her tufted ears stood at attention. _Your parents...were killed?_

_Yes._ Marron let out a sad warble. _By the horrible humans who came to the forest._

Hermione's eyes burned. _Damn that Umbridge and his goons!_

She could feel the feathers and fur on her body standing on end, and an inhuman growl escaped her newly formed beak. Her body seemed to move without her consciously thinking about it and she began to pace back and forth, her wings rustling restlessly at her sides.

Marron laughed delightedly and sprang up from Hermione's beak and into the bushy nest of brown feathers that adorned her head. _Yay! Looks like you're a lot more mobile now!_

Hermione smiled inwardly and let out a small warble of triumph. _Well, it is true that four legs are steadier than two. _

_Are you going to go after him?_

Hermione let out a sigh. _I suppose I should. But it's not because I think that I have any business cleaning up after his little temper tantrum. I just want to make sure he's not gone off and done something stupid._

_Hah! _Marron's laugh was loud in Hermione's head. _I almost hope so! He's always scolding me for doing stupid things. Maybe this will be my opportunity to repay the favor!_

Hermione let out a snort of laughter. _Indeed, that it would._

* * *

Humiliation and shame cut through Severus' heart like buckshot as he ran blindly through the cave system. He'd been traversing them for years, now, and could do so in the dark with his eyes closed, but still, he found himself clipping his body on some of the twists and turns. He banged his shin, which caused him to limp a bit, but he still could not bring himself to stop.

How could he have been so stupid as to blurt out all manner of sentimental nonsense? He could not believe how undone he'd become by seeing Hermione's transformation…

_It should have been me! _Groused a bitter voice in his head. Her amber eyes, her radiant feathers, and tawny fur...her _wings...freedom_...

He thought back to his dream the night before. Oh sure, if he had his wand, he could fly unaided through the sky, but it didn't feel as authentic and visceral as the mental image of soaring through the air on wings of his own. He'd never had the time or discipline to become an animagus, and he didn't think it was likely that he'd want to start the process at this late juncture.

He looked down at his hands, then reached up and touched the scar on his neck, feeling it spread up the side of his face. He'd fallen again when he'd followed the gryphons into the caves. They'd saved him once more without hesitation. They fed him, sung to him, and kept him from withering away in those early days. In his whole life, nobody had ever given him such kindness without requiring something in return. No human being had treated him as worth anything until he clawed his way to the top and proved that he was the best, no matter how little they wanted to admit it. And they didn't. How many times were his inventions passed off as someone else's work? How many times had his ideas been reiterated by someone more well-loved and beautiful before they were _heard_?

Before, Severus had begun to think that maybe he could live devoting his life to Marron, paying back the kindness that he had been given so freely. But now, he knew that he wasn't even worth that much. Even with his mask and his suit, he was no more a gryphon than a child dressing up for Halloween.

_But Hermione…._ He stopped in the narrow passageway, squeezed his eyes shut and let out a short bellow of barely-contained anguish. He swung out and hit the wall with his hand, which hurt him more than the wall, but it seemed to quiet him.

"It's not her fault," he rasped out, but the words felt hollow. It didn't matter that it wasn't her fault. He still resented her for having an ability he could only dream of.

A ruby orb shot past his cheek and then zoomed around his head, stopping to hover in front of his face. _There you are! You've been naughty, Severus! Running off so suddenly!_

"Now isn't the time, Marron," he said, trying to sound strict, but it came out exasperated instead.

_Marron! Is he there? _ Moments later, Hermione had barreled into both of them, her eyesight far less accustomed to running around in subterranean spaces than the other two.

Severus let out a surprised "Oof!" as she hit him, her body solid and soft at the same time. They all landed in a heap. Marron disentangled herself first and hovered over them both laughing gaily.

"I'd appreciate it if you could get your paw off of my spleen," Severus drawled.

_I would, but I think my tail is trapped under your arm. _Hermione mewed in discomfort.

Eventually, they sorted themselves out, and Hermione sat on her haunches next to Severus, her eyes large and soulful as she looked up at him.

_I...I didn't mean for this to happen._

"I shouldn't have allowed my emotions to control me," Severus admitted wryly. "I was...surprised at your transformation."

_I just don't understand why or how this could have happened._

"Perhaps I could figure it out," Severus said, more to himself than to the others. "But it could take some time to reverse-engineer. But first, we must return to your quarters to investigate."

Hermione nodded, and they turned to go. Severus hissed as his leg began to throb. It was a long way back.

_I can carry you on my back, _Hermione offered.

"No, thank you," he gritted out.

_I insist!_

"I will be fine."

Marron flitted over and landed on Severus' shoulder and flashed him puppy-dog eyes that he couldn't resist. _Please? The faster we get back, the sooner we can figure out what happened. I can heal you with my purr, but it might take some time._

Severus looked at Hermione, who had already gotten down low to the ground and was offering her back.

"Fine," he grit out, "but I don't have to like it!"

* * *

There was something magical about being carried on the back of a gryphon. He could feel the lithe muscles working under him as she strode forward, her power and grace providing him with a smooth ride. Her fur was luxuriously soft, and he was quite certain that if he had a pillow stuffed with gryphon down, he'd sleep like a rock every single night. He gently grasped around her neck to hold on and drifted into a state of half-sleep as he rested his head on the down that ran down the back of her neck. Her wings unfurled partially behind him and he felt utterly secure.

They reached Hermione's recuperation room more quickly than Severus hoped they would, not that he'd ever admit it. Reluctantly, he dismounted and spared a glance back at her. Hermione-the-gryphon was truly resplendent, and Severus allowed himself a very comprehensive look at her new form. Her fur shone in the soft light of the room, and her feathers were new and glossy. He marveled at her regal head and massive beak. He felt his chest flip-flop and all the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when he caught her gazing back, her large, amber eyes dilating as she began to purr.

_Haha, did you know that I can purr? Weird, right?_ Hermione's voice was flustered in his head.

Moments later, a wave of healing magic nearly knocked Severus on his arse. It filled him with giddiness and a sense of warmth that was far beyond anything he'd ever felt before.

"I would say it comes with the territory," Severus replied a bit shakily, biting back a smile. How dare she be so...so _adorable_?! "Thank you for assisting me."

_If you two are done being all lovey-dovey, I recommend that we start looking around!_ Marron sniffed and turned her back on them both, her little wind beating so hard that they were a blur.

Hermione tilted her head and half-closed her eyes in what Severus supposed was a sheepish gryphon expression. _She's right. Let's look._

They each took different parts of the room, which wasn't very big, to begin with, and Hermione's altered shape seemed to make things even more cramped. He stepped on one of her paws and she bopped him in the nose with one of her wings, and by the time they both had finished searching they were rather grumpy.

_Did you put any of my things elsewhere? _Hermione asked, tilting her head.

She'd been wearing some fairly thick outer robes that he'd removed when she had been gravely injured. He'd thrown them in a heap, then taken them out to wash in one of the underground rivers they used for such a purpose. He'd hung it up and left it to dry after, but he did remember that there were a few items stored in the pockets, which he'd placed in a burlap sack in his room. Thinking back, he couldn't really remember the contents, but nothing had stuck out.

"Follow me," he said and led the way.

The bag had fallen over on its side, but otherwise was exactly where he'd left it. Hermione sat on her haunches as he undid the tie and spread out the items in front of her on a low wooden table he'd salvaged quite a while back from one of the many rubbish heaps out back of the shops. Hermione looked each item over carefully before pointing at a small silver pocket watch with one of her foreclaws.

_This was given to me by Ulfric Umbridge's accountant- a goblin woman by the name of Yellingstone. She said it would mark down the time until my request was null and void._

Severus narrowed his eyes. "I was unaware that the man had such a person in his employ. He tends to keep things..._in the family,_ as it were. Fewer people to snitch on him if things go sideways."

Hermione fixed him with her large, amber eyes. _Such as lying about the presence of gryphons. He knew, didn't he?_

Severus grabbed a handkerchief from an interior pocket and grabbed the pocket watch as though it were an offensive-smelling bit of refuse. "Let us see if this item is what I think it is."

They moved through the stone halls until they reached Severus' underground laboratory.

"Mind your tail. And your wings," Severus mentioned offhandedly, his focus on the watch.

Hermione did her best to tuck herself into as small a shape as possible, but she still accidentally knocked over an empty caldron and winced as Severus turned back to glare at her.

He cleared off a table with a wave of his hand— wandless magic levitated everything onto a far shelf and readied himself.

"Marron," he barked, "bring a sprig of mandrake leaves!"

The little gryphon, who'd been in a bit of a huff at being left behind, snapped to attention and grabbed the items in question. Severus set to chopping the leaves and preparing an ugly, gray paste in the middle of the table. Marron sat on his shoulder, watching and assessing along with him.

It smelled awful and both gryphons let out a distressed warble. Severus shushed them and slowly dipped the pocket watch into the mixture. At first, nothing happened, but then the silver began to bubble and blacken and a strange, dark cloud began to rise into the air.

Severus was ready. In one smooth motion, he grabbed a bottle and trapped the cloud into it, stoppering it before it could escape. "A curse," he muttered, "and a strong one, at that for it to manifest in a physical form."

_The mixture...what is it?_ Hermione peered over the edge of the table with curious eyes.

"A concoction I created after the Headmaster...cursed himself…" Severus looked visibly uncomfortable. "One that I was unable to create in time to do any good whatsoever."

_Do you know what the curse does?_

"Unfortunately, no. But I can guess that part of it is why you're currently unable to wear pants." His voice was deadpan, but Hermione could see a small smile at the edge of his lips.

_You said...before, that my affliction was a gift. Do you really hate being human so much?_

Severus turned to her with an unreadable expression. "What do you think?"

_I suppose that if I were to ask that you would say I have no business prying._

"_Indeed_."

He turned away, the filled bottle in one hand, and set it over a burner. He grabbed an odd, screw-shaped straw with something dark in the middle, and twisted it into the rubber stopper until the sharp tip pierced through. Immediately, the cursed cloud traveled up it, stopped by the dark thing in the middle.

Hermione made a questioning trill.

"It's a one-way valve," Severus said, working on attaching it to a long rubber hose. "I'm not the sort of _dunderhead_ who would let it free."

The way he said _that word_ quickened Hermione's heart and she suddenly felt very, very stupid. Severus and the feared Potions master of her school days were one and the same, despite the changes in his appearance and the world-weary gruffness that had deepened his voice. How had she not seen it before? But, then again, did it really matter who he was? He was miserable and she was a gryphon Marron was nuzzled, half asleep, around his neck and she could tell that she was as good as his adopted daughter. Things were complicated enough. She didn't need to add her traitorous heart to the mix.

But still, she felt warmth rise behind her feathers when he scooted by her with a phial of green liquid and placed a gentle hand on her head to ensure there was enough space to pass by without bumping her. It was almost as though he was willing to be more intimate with her now that she no longer had an inconveniently human body.

Swirling the phial around, he finally unstoppered it, and poured it into a funnel, which slowly fed down the line into the one-way valve. It dripped into the black smoke and a flash of light filled the room as the two reacted with one another.

When the light finally dimmed, Severus picked up the bottle and swirled it around. The colored smoke slowly turned pink and Hermione gasped as a familiar frog-like face appeared like a mirage in the middle.

…_.Umbridge...of course she'd be involved..._

Severus said nothing, but the grimace on his face was proof enough of his hatred. He had gone to the wall cabinet to grab something when an earth-shattering explosion rattled the entire room. Severus stumbled forward to catch himself on the table, and Marron flew off of his neck with a surprised squeak. Hermione was more sure-footed on all four feet, but she saw Marron falling towards the shards of glass on the stone floor and lunged into the air to grab the tiny gryphon gently by the scruff of her tiny neck.

She heard Severus swear and her eyes fell upon him. It seemed to happen in slow motion. Hermione was certain he didn't mean to do it, but it was too late.

His fingers brushed against the pocket watch, and then he was gone.

_Hermione!_ Marron's voice was panicked. _He disappeared!_

_Umbridge. _Hermione let out a growl. _Can you navigate us back to the surface?_

_I can...but I don't like it there…_ Marron climbed up the bridge of her beak to the top of her head and dug into Hermione's mane. She shivered. _Bad things happened._

_Don't worry. I'll be with you._ Hermione purred reassuringly, and Marron seemed to calm just a bit.

_First let me go to the others. They need to know what happened._

Hermione nimbly leapt over the glass-covered floor and they rushed to find the others. She'd advise them to hide in the deepest part of the caves, where nobody would ever look to find them.

* * *

"So, you finally decided to show up. Very well." Dolores Umbridge was smugger and pinker than ever as she sat on a plush pink wingback chair with a cup of lemonade in hand. A seemingly charmed pink parasol floated above her to shade her toad-like body. "You're just laughably easy to take advantage of, my dear."

Hermione snarled, her ears flat against her head, and flapped her wings, causing Umbridge's umbrella to go flying and dust to fill her glass of lemonade. Umbridge let out a little squeal of distress, and made a motion with her fingers. Before Hermione could reach the wretched woman, a burning net fell upon her and she was suddenly catapulted into the air with a screech of fury.

Umbridge watched Hermione twist and fight the charmed rope with awful amusement. "You know, I was going to kill you and put your stuffed head over the mantle, but I like this better. You can be part of my dear Ulfric's private zoo. A fitting place for a filthy animal like you."

Hermione lunged forward with her beak, but was stopped short by the magic threads of the net.

"Thank you, by the way, for leading us straight to that little eco-terrorist," Umbridge cooed. "He has been ever so troublesome."

Hermione screamed and twisted, searching for Severus, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Now then, you wait right here, and we'll deal with him." Umbridge toddled off to a small tent that Hermione hadn't seen before. Much like the ones that were at the Quidditch World Cup, she supposed that it was probably much larger on the inside.

_I have to find him, Hermione._ There was a tiny beating of wings and Hermione saw the instant that Marron dove under Umbridge's hat.

_NO! WAIT!_ But the tiny gryphon was gone.

* * *

Severus' hands were tied behind his back with heavy rope, and his captors had magically stripped him down to his undershorts. His many scars were on ugly display, and his lank hair fell forward over his face as he tried to focus on his breathing. _In. Out. In. Out._

He'd been careless. But it was his burden to bear. At least Marron and Hermione would be safe.

_Oh. And when did I start thinking of her in that way?_

His mind raced back, trying to think of the first moment his feelings had changed, but in the end he realized it wasn't important. _After all, it's not like she_… He let his head sink down, defeated.

The sound of heels clicking towards his location made Severus raise his head just enough to see a pair of fancy boots come to a stop a few feet away from him.

"Well, well, it appears that our guest has awakened from his beauty rest. Pity it hasn't done much for your face."

"I hadn't realized that head trauma counted as rest." Severus winced as the bump on his head ached with the memory of the blow that had knocked him out.

"You know you're not getting out of this alive, don't you?" Ulfric Umbridge smiled a predator's smile.

"If that's the case, then what makes you think that i will be willing to help you if you're just going to do away with me no matter what? At least be clever enough to lie and say I'll be free to go. Severus put on his best unimpressed expression. He may not have been good at much, but it had become second nature to put on a mask.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Ulfric's lip twitched with irritation and Severus struggled not to let his satisfaction show.

"If it is, I can assure you that you're a terrible comedian."

Umbridge stood forward and yanked Severus' head up, a sneer twisting his too-perfect face. "I will gut you like a fish."

Severus barely contained a bark of laughter. "More terrible men have tried." In his mind, he was struck by the absurdity of the entire situation. He'd only ever wanted to be left alone, and yet no matter what he'd done to ensure his solitude, someone always had to ruin it. _At least Marron and Hermione will have time to escape_.

"_Pay attention to me!" _Umbridge pulled a dagger out of his pocket and plunged it into Severus' thigh.

Severus took in a sharp breath, but didn't give Umbridge a satisfaction of crying out. "Ah, yes," he croaked out. "Stabbing. So very _original_."

A door opened, then, and the shorter, squat Umbridge appeared. She was wearing a stupid little velvet hat that made her look like she was masquerading as one of those organ grinder monkeys, only pink-themed. "I've got the girl," she growled, sniffing distastefully at Severus. "The spell worked a treat. She'll never be human again as long as we keep her away from the catnip."

"Hush, sister, don't share secrets with the undesirables," Ulfric responded. "Well, old chap, I'd like to say it's been fun, but as you have already established we both know there's no incentive for me to lie to you. And, as you rightly pointed out, stabbing is awfully droll, so I propose a bit of a flashier death just for you."

With that, he surrounded a small barrel with salt, and then chanted something long and low in Latin. The barrel glowed bright blue, then faded back to normal. Ulfric then cast Fiendfyre into the barrel and placed the lid on top.

"Enjoy burning alive," Ulfric said, and the two laughed the same sort of snorty-laughter before closing the door behind them.

"You forgot your knife!" Severus yelled after them, but he already knew that was a stupid thing to say. The damn wound was aching and burning around the knife as it bit into his flesh in slightly different ways as he tried to stay still. Pulling it out, even if it was an option, was an idiotic idea. It was only when a little flicker of ruby and feathered wings beat about his head that Severus realized that he was not alone after all.

_Severus! I've come for you! _Marron nuzzled against his cheek, then flew behind him and began to cut through his restraints with her claws and beak. When his arms and legs were free, she flew to his wound and purred heartily as he pulled out the knife. Her healing magic closed up the wound until the only mark on his skin was a faded scar.

"Where is Hermione?" Severus asked, testing his legs just in time to watch the charmed barrel begin to blacken and burn. The Fiendfyre would escape soon. They were running out of time. Severus began to focus his magic on the wall and was able to transfigure a decent sized patch into a thick moss. He broke through at a run and made a break for the closest cover just as the tent exploded into a fireball.

_The woman got her trapped in a net. I don't think she can get free._

"Marron, listen closely to me. I need you to find catnip. The more, the better."

_I know there's some down in your lab, but what for?_

"No time to ask questions. It'll help Hermione. That's all that matters."

Marron sniffed irritably. _This better not be a ploy to keep me out of the way._

"It's not. If it was, I'd tell you to go to Paris to pick up some rare herb that can only be found on the Eiffel Tower." Severus leveled her with an annoyed look. "Dolores said the quiet bit out loud again, and I aim to use it to the best of my ability."

Marron gave a dissatisfied snort but complied with the instructions. Her tiny wings beat a frenzy as she backtracked to the secret entrance to the underground caverns.

Severus moved in the opposite direction, where a second tent sat, the flap closed tightly.

"If they hurt her…" he trailed off. Some things were too terrible to speak out loud.

_There would be hell to pay._

* * *

Hermione paced back and forth behind the charmed bars of her cage. Every time her tail or wings brushed against the horrible iron, they zapped her soundly.

Nevertheless, she tried again.

And again.

"I still say that we should stuff her and put her on display in the trophy room once we finish the building," Dolores was saying, looking casually at her fingernails as her brother sipped his tea across from her. Both had matching floating parasols of the lightest pink, and their bone-china tea set was an unnatural shade of fuschia.

"Hush, dear sister," Ulfric replied, "think of the humiliation she will suffer. Forced to spend years behind the bars of her cage and treated like the bloody beasts she seems to think are worth more than a wizard's ambition."

"True. A quick death would be too kind," Dolores replied. "Should we tell her? I want to see her suffer _more_."

"Still angry about the centaur incident?" Ulfric raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

Dolores reddened. "How _dare_ you?" She stood and stomped over to Hermione's cage. "Your precious gryphons will be burned to a crisp in short order. We have several wizards primed to fill the caves with magma. Every last nook and cranny will be filled in."

_No! They're down there! _Hermione's eyes widened and she shrieked, ramming herself against the bars.

"Ooh! Someone's angry!" Dolores' eyes sparkled with malice. "I guess there's still a little bit of you left in that bird brain."

Hermione fell back, her body buzzing with pain, her eyes closing as despair washed over her.

The Umbridges laughed, and all were unaware that the door to the room had slowly opened behind them.

* * *

Severus was pretty sure that he was being idiotic, but he'd heard Hermione roar with pain and he'd reacted on instinct. He felt the hairs on his neck stand up as he willed himself to into Disillusionment and snuck through the door. One of the benefits of being an honorary gryphon was that he'd learned how to use his own innate magic in a whole new way. Most of it had been hiding and healing, but then again, Severus knew the virtues of both of these things.

He quietly moved to the back of Hermione's cage, then ducked behind a few stray boxes that had been left to one side. His ears reddened a bit at the stream of curse words that Hermione was mentally broadcasting to anyone who could hear it. From the looks of things, neither Umbridge was gifted in the art of hearing mindspeak, which he was almost disappointed to learn.

After what seemed like ages, the two left the tent, and Severus allowed himself to become visible again.

"Hermione," he said softly, Vanishing the bars with a curious wave of his hand, and it took a long moment for the battered and bruised gryphon to raise her head to look defeatedly in his direction.

_It's over. They've killed the others, Severus._ Her mind-voice was flat and toneless, and with a mad surge of protectiveness he had to hold himself back from throwing his arms around her.

"They're liars," he reasoned. "There's no way they could have succeeded."

Hermione stood with a little difficulty. Her feathers and fur were charred from the abuse of beating against the charmed bars, and she stumbled into his arms, her great head resting on his shoulder. With the warmth and weight of her so close, he couldn't help himself. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her close, smelling the fire and spice of her as her mind-voice sobbed.

"Shhh," he said, "You're injured."

_I...I can't heal myself...not now…_

Severus began to hum, a deep almost-growl building in his chest, and a wave of healing magic began to pulse from his body, rippling over Hermione's battered body in waves.

"Beast of fire, beast of sky,

Grounded, water, flame, and fly,

You who once was whole before,

Be again as new once more."

The charred bits shimmered and began to lighten. It wasn't as potent and immediate as gryphon song, but just like most magic, it was only required for one to _mean it_.

As the light and magic faded, Severus leaned heavily into Hermione's fur, his body heaving with the exertion of the extent of the healing magic.

_Thank you, Severus._ Hermione's bright gryphon eyes met his, her pupils large and dark. She nuzzled against his cheek. _Climb on my back. I think it's time for some payback._

* * *

Ulfric Umbridge was holding a map and pointing to various mounds of dirt and describing what he intended to have built in each spot. This was, understandably, boring to Dolores Umbridge. She was itching to return to the tent and torture Hermione again. Maybe this time with an Unforgivable or three. She grinned wickedly despite herself. She hadn't liked having to wear the Mrs. Yellingstone disguise, but it had been required to get the stupid girl to fall for their ruse. There was plenty of animosity towards Hermione Granger in the Ministry already. If she disappeared while looking for non-existent gryphons to protect, nobody would think it odd.

Now, they could put her in Ulfric's menagerie, or sell her off to some foreign collector. Dolores knew the beast would fetch a pretty penny, and there would be fewer questions. Much easier than murder, and far more lucritive. Dolores was in the middle of imagining the lodge with Hermione's gryphon head stuffed and mounted over the mantle when Ulfric let out a shout and fell forward, his body wrapped securely with ropes.

"What the f—" Umbridge turned just as Hermione pounced onto her, knocking her down onto the ground. Her cheek smashed into a rock and hot blood began to pour down the side of her head as pain bloomed alongside it. Scythe-like claws dug into her shoulders enough to tear her fine clothing but not to pierce her skin. Dolores couldn't even move her head as the tip of Hermione's eagle beak moved down to rest on her jugular.

"Boy oh boy, I would hate to be you right now." There were boots in her peripheral vision but she didn't need to look to see who it was.

"You lived," she ground out, her breath half-knocked out and her throat straining away from the vicious point of Hermione's beak. "Too bad you couldn't save the others. The caves should be nearly full as we speak. You couldn't even save that one breeding pair we were able to exterminate."

Hermione let out a screech that made Dolores' ears ring.

"Hermione, it's not worth it," Severus said, stroking her neck. Hermione pulled her head away from Dolores' throat and cocked her head, making a soft noise as she gently ran her beak through Severus' hair.

Dolores was not impressed. "So, you're in love with a filthy beast? And a former student as well?" she said, her voice filled with revulsion. "I knew you were a disgusting pervert the moment I saw you, Snape, but now I have proof."

Severus turned to look at Dolores with eyes so filled with darkness that they seemed to be full of stars. He nodded to Hermione and she withdrew. Magical ropes sprang from his fingers and Dolores was almost too shocked to move. Wandless magic of such sophistication was supposed to be impossible! Before she knew it, she was trussed up like a prize turkey and lay undignified in the dust with her brother. Dolores let out a small squeak of indignation, but it was far too late.

"From where I'm standing, you're the filthy ones," Severus said, a smirk lifting up one side of his mouth.

"We'll make sure you pay for this!" Ulfric howled. "We have power! Connections! You will rot in Azkaban for the injustices I have suffered!"

"YOU?!" Dolores roared. "What about me?! My dress is utterly ruined and I'm _bleeding_!"

"Oh you and your precious dresses," Ulfric replied in a sing-song voice. "Well let me tell you where you can stick your bleeding pink parasols and fuschia wallpaper choices. How many times do I have to say it? I hate pink, you monstrous cow!"

Dolores sputtered at this, and they devolved into a shouting match that neither Severus nor Hermione wished to hear. Severus summoned the wands from the two fighting Umbridges and placed them under a magical rock out of their sight. From the sound of their respective shouts, it would be some time before they noticed they had been unarmed.

But as they neared the entrance to the cave, his heart sank. There, where the cave entrance had been, lay a smoky lump of cooling rock.

"Marron!" He called out, holding up one hand and struggling to blast a hole through it with his magic. A small spark shot from his fingers and his shaking legs finally gave out. He'd been reckless.

The troupe was lost to him.

_Hey. Hey. _Hermione curled her body around him and tucked her wing across his back.

_This can't get any worse,_ Severus thought, and then he remembered that Marron had gone back _on his orders_. Much to his horror, his eyes grew blurry with uncontrollable tears. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and made a soft noise, and that was all it took for him to break down into shuddering, messy sobs, his grief overflowing past any sensible boundaries. His nose dripped, his face grew red and blotchy, and his eyes swelled with the pain of loss.

_Why are you crying?_

_Shush, Marron, can't you see— _

Both Hermione's and Severus' eyes went wide.

"MARRON!" Severus leapt forward and half-tripped over Hermione's left paw. Hermione had to grab him by the seat of the pants with her beak to keep him from face planting.

Marron giggled from where she hovered in front of them, a sprig of catnip in her mouth. _You two are hilarious!_

A chorus of giggles from the bushes prompted additional shouts of disbelief.

Marron flew over and landed on Severus' shoulder. _I hope you're not mad at me for letting the others come. They wanted to see you kick arse._

"Language!" Severus said, but his heart wasn't in it.

_Oh Marron! That was simply brilliant! _Hermione ran over, her tail swishing back and forth excitedly.

_I believe this is for you, Hermione,_ Marron said, looking up at Severus for confirmation.

He sniffed loudly and nodded. "Go ahead, Marron. Hermione, if you eat this...it should reverse your transformation."

Hermione cocked her head to one side. _It's that simple?_

"The Umbridges aren't exactly the smartest tools in the shed," Severus said. "Dolores, at least, does seem the type to go with maximum simplicity for maximum suffering."

Hermione nodded and gingerly took the catnip from Marron's beak. It tasted minty and strong, with a little underlying funk to it, but it wasn't unpleasant.

After a few minutes, Hermione (still in gryphon form) asked, _Are you sure that it was catnip?_

"Well, I suppose there are other— Hermione!" Severus leapt forward as Hermione slumped down onto the ground, her body shimmering as the enchantment began to fail.

He also realized rather quickly that he'd forgotten to account for her lack of clothing. Luckily for him, he was still wearing his cloak and he helped her to her feet and wrapped it around her shoulders.

They came to a stop at a fallen tree trunk that overlooked the setting sun. Hermione sat down and brushed some of the dirt off of her legs and feet as tiny gryphons fluttered around her happily like a bunch of rainbow-colored miniature will-o-wisps. Marron chirped happily from a nest of Hermione's hair.

"Well, that was one hell of a day," Severus said, sitting down heavily next to her. "I suppose you'll be wanting to head back to civilization. I'd say I want to come with, but civilization is overrated. Besides, I'm sure you've got plenty of places you need to get to."

"No," Hermione said, closing her eyes and leaning against him. There were so many loose ends to tie up and she still wasn't sure if he felt the same way she felt about him, but she couldn't deny that he made her feel safer than she'd felt in a long, long time. "Right now, I'm right where I want to be."


End file.
